Plate feed and storage means in an addressing machine



June 15, 1965 A. RENAUER 3,188,945

PLATE FEED AND STORAGE MEANS IN AN ADDRESSING MACHINE Filed July 30, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VE N TOR ANTON 'RENAUER June 15, 1965 A. RENAUER PLATE FEED AND STORAGE MEANS IN AN ADDRESSING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 30, 1962 1111111111111 munuu "um/1 I II INVE N TOR ANTON RENAUER June 15, 1965 A. RENAUER 3,188,945

PLATE FEED AND STORAGE MEANS IN AN ADDRESSING MACHINE Filed July so. 1962 :5 Sheets-Sheet 3 k I, 22 20 F INVENTOR ANTON RENAUE R A {to megs United States Patent 3,188,945 PLATE FEED AND STORAGE MEANS IN AN ADDRESSING MACHINE Anton Renauer, Deisenhofen, near Munich, Germany, assignor to Rena Buromaschinen-Fabrilr G.m.b.I-I. dz Co., Dciseuhofen, near Munich, Bavaria, Germany Filed July 30, 1962, Ser. No. 213,437 Claims priority, application Germany, Aug. 4, 1961,

R 2 Claims. (Cl. 101-47) The present invention relates to an addressing machine in which the printing plates carrying the addresses are pulled out singly from a supply stack thereof disposed in an introduction chute, are conveyed along a horizontal guide path past a selected printing position and are laid off or deposited in a laying-off chute. v

In adressing machines the printing plates carrying the addresses are mostly fed from a rather great stack by means of a holder means or drawer into a vertically disposed introduction chute. Said plates are conveyed, after printing, to a vertically disposed laying-01f chute arranged at a deeper level. In both the introduction and layingoff chutes, the printing plates are stacked lying one on top of the other. Particularly, the nature and disposition of the laying-off chute influences essentially the constructional height of the addressing machine. Table mounted machines, without a special underframe to accommodate such prior laying-oil? chutes must include complicated, hence expensive, laying off means. It has been proposed to arrange the laying-off chute in an oblique position whereby the printed printing plates are arranged standing partially upright one behind the other. Even with such modification a substantial constructional height of the machine frame is still necessary, which height is still great for a practical table mounted machine. In the case of small hectographic type addressing machines it is also already known to arrange the laying-off chute in a horizontal manner, but in this case the print forms are laidoff directly into this chute in the absence of any drawer or like receiving means and lying in a stack one atop the other. In such cases, quantities of the laid-off printing plates from time to time must be removed from the horizontal stack to make room for others.

i The principal object of the present invention is to provide a table mountable addressing machine wherein the problems heretofore set forth are eliminated and wherein the printing plates are laid off in a stack whilepermitting the machine casing of the machine to have a low constructional height sufficient to enable the machine to be built without a special underframe.

The invention further provides a table mountable addressing machine wherein the laying-off chute is arranged in a horizontal manner in the machine casing and provides means in this chute whereby a drawer or carrier can be shifted laterally step-wise for receiving the stack of printing plates to be laid ofi and said printing plates are received in said carrier in an upright standing position one behind the other.

In order to pass the printing plates from their horizontally disposed path into a vertically upright standing position in the laying-off carrier, there is provided an opening in the guide path disposed over the laying-off chute on one side of the casing and there is further provided under the guide path, a tilting edge portion and a sheet metal guide extending downward and leading into the laying-01f chute and the carrier.

In order to shift the drawer in the laying-off chute and in order thus to shift the laid off printing plates, there is provided, in the laying-off chute a movable pressure plate mounted for reciprocable movement synchronized with the printing plate transport means. The invention further provides a spring-loaded claw disposed in the laying-off chute above the stack of printing plates and engageable with the last laid-oft printing plate; said claw cooperates with the pressure plate to position the printing plates in an upright, standing arrangement.

Further features of the invention will become clear from the following description of an embodiment of the invention as shown in the accompanying drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the addressing machine according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial view of the printing plate lay-oft device.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line IIIIII in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line IVIV in FIG. 2.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are sectional views similar to that of FIG. 4 but with the pressure plate shown in successive working positions.

Referring to FIG. 1, the addressing machine according to the invention comprises a box-shaped casing 1 with a low constructional height a, so that the addressing machine can be used as a table mounted machine without necessitating the provision of a special underframe therefor.

On the plane upper surface 2 of the casing 1 there is mounted a vertical introduction chute 3, which is essentially flush with the right hand front side 4 of the casing 1. A plate holder means preferably in the form of a drawer 5 can be removably received in and shifted relative the introduction chute. Said drawer 5 is adapted to receive a pile or stack of printing plates arranged one above the other.

A horizontal carrying arm 6 is mounted to the introduction chute 3. The said arm 6 carries on its free extremity and enclosed in a casing '7, a flat counter pressure element (not shown) which is mountable for movement in a vertical direction. The pressure element or printing element Which may be of conventional construc- 40 tion is disposed relative the top of casing 1 beneath the arm 6. A conventional humidifying device (not shown) may also be provided within the casing 1.

An example of such a pressure element is disclosed in US. Patent No. 2,015,552 issued September 24, 1935, to

H. P. Elliot; although it is obvious that any other conventional printing member may be utilized.

A horizontal guide path 9 leads from the introduction chute 3 to the printing location 8 andextends beyond the printing point or location 8. Said guide path is covered by a covering rail 10, except at the printing spot 8. The covering rail 10 lies disposed parallel to and flush with the upper surface 2 of the casing 1.

Any type of conventional conveying device (not shown) which could if desired be similar to the conveying means disclosed in the aforesaid Elliot patent, pulls the printing plates 11 carrying the addresses singly from the introduction chute 3, conveys them continuously to the printing point or location 8 and finally to the end 12 of the guide path 9. Printing plates commonly utilized comprise framed typed originals in mirror image form.

In accordance with the invention, the printing may be applied freely on the upper surface 2 of the casing 1 by means of a conventional application device (not shown) and can be laid off by means of the laying-off device of the invention subsequent to the printing process.

Under the extremely 12 of the guide path 9 there is mounted normal to the guide path, a horizontally disposed laying-off chute 13 formed in the machine casing 1, said chute being freely accessible from the front side 14 of the casing 1. The left hand end or side 15 of the casing 1 closes oif this laying-off chute at one side thereof. The said chute 13 is provided with guide rails 16 serving to posite 'side;of opening'22 mount and guide a drawer 1? fr-ictionally mounted thereon within the laying-off ichute 13. The said drawer is adapted to receive the laid ofli printing plates 11 in successive single'steps. The printing plates 11 are laidpff from the path 9 vertically one at a time positioned upright one behind the other and arrange themselves upright in the'drawer 17. The drawer 17 preferably has I a configuration also to fit interchangeably into the introduction chute 3.

outside the machine.

In order to transfer the printing plates 11 from their horizontal position at the end 12 of the guide path 9 to their upright standing position in the laying-off chute respectively .inthe-drawer 17 pushed into said chute 13,

In addition, said drawer provides storage space for storing the stacks of printing plates is evident from the drawing (FIG. 1), the drawer 17 containing the laid-off plates 11 is accessible easily from the front side of the casing. Because the plates are stacked in an upright formation according to the invention with necessity for understructure is eliminated.

What Ifclaim is: L

' 1. In an addressing machine which includes a casing,

" an introduction chute for stepawise feeding of generally one. guide rail 18 is positioned adjac/enttone' side of the printing plate guide path 9'Whereby same terminates adjacent and in front of the-laying-ofi? chut 13, while the other guide rail 19 extends farther than rail 18 to a superposed position over thelayin'g-off chute 13 at the side thereof. Parallel to the guide rail 19 but somewhat below same, a depending- L-shaped'flange 2%) formed of sheet metal, is secured at one elongate edge thereof to the under surface 2 at the casing 1 adjacent" theopening r 7 opposite edge 20' of flange 20 is a downwardly depending slightly 22. Integral with and depending from the The printing plate 11, which has been guided into *the' 7 plate a position shown in FIG. Sis acted upon by a pusher 23,which is mounted to a crank '26 for to and fro movement synchronous with the printing plate transport means comprising stationary V laying oil chute beneath theterminal end of the guide path rectangular printing plates into a horizontal guide path, a printing station disposed along the guide path, a horizontallydisposed laying off chute located at the terminal end'of and beneath the guide path to receive said printing plates dropped one at a time from anenlarged opening in the terminal end of'the guidepath, said laying off chute communicating to the exterior of the casing,

horizontal guide rail means in saidlaying off chute, and

an open-topped .plate receiving dra-weirfrictionally en"- .gaged uponsaid guide rail means within said laying off chute, the herein invention comprising, eifecting step wise displaceme'ntof the.- drawer, with the entry thereinto of each printing platefromthe terminal 'end of the guidef path, said step-wise displacement being equal to the thickness of saidprint-in'g plateysaid means 'guide' plate means within said 1 for directingtlie printing plates one at a time from the guide path to a tilted position upon one edge thereof in a the drawer, reciprocating pressure plate means arranged (carrying arm 6 with its counter'pressu're element, guide path 9' and the conveyor device) in ,the' arrow directions indicated in FIG. 6 tourge group 11 V p the drawer 17. The crank 26 maybe pivotally mounted the plate 11 toward the of plates which have already been stacked in 'to engage ,a' face'of'saidprinting plate immediately upon entry thereof intothe"drawer to move said :plate to a vertical position "and to their displace the drawer along :the guide rail means a distance equal to the thickness v of the printingaplate; and spring .bi-ased hook means arranged centrally andvabove said layingofi' chute to engage'the face of the printing plate to retain the plate in a vertical position when the pressure plate is caused to retract, the drawer thereby being automatically shifted step by-step by each successive. printing plate for the entire length thereo-f. V

2. The "structure as set forth in claim 1' in which said stationary guide plate means comprises 7 a depending arcuateguide extensionat one sidev of the terminal end on the casing 1 on one of the walls of the chute 13 and is connected directly to the motor of the machine.

As the plate is moved across the chute 13 by pusher 23 the plate 11 assumes a vertically upright position. 'A

stationary'mounted spring-biased claw 24, has a hook position 25 whichengages the lats laid-off printing plate 11 and thus maintains the laid-ofi stack of print plates firmly in place in vertically upright position.' The pressing plate 23 pushes'in a stepwise manner against the drawer 17 asthe pusher 2-3 engages a plate '11 as shown in FIGS. ,5 and'6 and said with printing plates 11 in the indicated arrow direction towards the exit of the'chute 1 3. Before the arrival of a new printing plate 11, the pressing plate 23 returns in its starting position, as shown in FIGURE 4. As

drawer is filled gradually of the guide path at the enlarged opening thereof and a jdownwardly depending flange having an edge portion disposed within said enlarged openingand adapted to tilt the edge of a'prin ting plate dropping fromvthe 'terminal end of the guide path,

ReferencesCited by'the Examiner i I 7 H UNITED: STATES PATENTS 764,660 7/04 Duncan 10l65 WILLIAM B. PENN, Primary Exar nz'ner,

' ROBERT A/LEIGHEY, Examiner.

means for I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,188,945 June 15, 196E Anton Renauer It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent reqliring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as correctedbelow.

Column 2, line 66, for "extremely" read extremity column 3, line 48, for "lats" read last column 4, line 5, for "with" read the Signed and sealed this 23rd day of November 1965.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER Aucsting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. IN AN ADDRESSING MACHINE WHICH INCLUDES A CASING, AN INTRODUCTION CHUTE FOR STEP-WISE FEEDING OF GENERALLY RECTANGULAR PRINTING PLATES INTO A HORIZONTAL GUIDE PATH, A PRINTING STATION DISPOSED ALONG THE GUIDE PATH, A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED LAYING OFF CHUTE LOCATED AT THE TERMINAL END OF AND BENEATH THE GUIDE PATH TO RECEIVE SAID PRINTING PLATES DROPPED ONE AT A TIME FROM AN ENLARGED OPENING IN THE TERMINAL END OF THE GUIDE PATH, SAID LAYING OFF CHUTE COMMUNICATING TO THE EXTERIOR OF THE CASING, HORIZONTAL GUIDE RAIL MEANS IN SAID LAYING OFF CHUTE, AND AND OPEN-TOPPED PLATE RECEIVING DRAWER FRICTIONALLY ENGAGED UPON SAID GUIDE RAIL MEANS WITHIN SAID LAYING OFF CHUTE, THE HEREIN INVENTION COMPRISING, MEANS FOR EFFECTING STEP-WISE DISPLACEMENT OF THE DRAWER WITH THE ENTRY THEREINTO OF EACH PRINTING PLATE FROM THE TERMINAL END OF THE GUIDE PATH, SAID STEP-WISE DISPLACEMENT BEING EQUAL TO THE THICKNESS OF SAID PRINTING PLATE, SAID MEANS COMPRISING STATIONARY GUIDE PLATE MEANS WITHIN SAID LAYING OFF CHUTE BENEATH THE TERMINAL END OF THE GUIDE PATH FOR DIRECTING THE PRINTING PLATES ONE AT A TIME FROM THE GUIDE PATH TO A TILTED POSITION UPON ONE EDGE THEREOF IN THE DRAWER, RECIPROCATING PRESSURE PLATE MEANS ARRANGED TO ENGAGE A FACE OF SAID PRINTIN PLATE IMMEDIATELY UPON ENTRY THEREOF INTO THE DRAWER TO MOVE SAID PLATE TO A VERTICAL POSITION ANDD TO THEN DISPLACE THE DRAWER ALONG THE GUIDE RAIL MEANS A DISTANCE EQUAL TO THE THICKNESS OF THE PRINTING PLATE, AND SPRING BIASED HOOK MEANS ARRANGED CENTRALLY AND ABOVE SAID LAYING OFF CHUTE TO ENGAGE THE FACE OF THE PRINTING PLATE TO RETAIN THE PLATE IN A VERTICAL POSITION WHEN THE PRESSURE PLATE IS CAUSED TO RETRACT, THE DRAWER THEREBY BEING AUTOMATICALLY SHIFTED STEP-BY-STEP BY EACH SUCCESSIVE PRINTING PLATE FOR THE ENTIRE LENGTH THEREOF. 